February 23, 2004

Japan Set To Resume Processed Poultry Imports From Thailand

Japan may resume heat-treated poultry imports from Thailand this week if the products comply with the nation's hygiene standards, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Monday.

"At the earliest Japan could resume imports of (heat-treated) poultry products from Thailand this week," Hirofumi Kugita, director at the ministry's International Animal Health Affairs Office, said.

The ministry hoped to send experts to Thailand this week to see whether all the conditions set by Japan had been met, he said.

The lifting of the ban, imposed due to an outbreak of bird flu, would not include fresh poultry products. Last week, visiting Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak urged Japan to resume imports of cooked meat by the end of this month.

Last year, Japan took 60 percent of Thailand's 60 billion baht of chicken exports, with cooked chicken accounting for 30 percent of its imports.

Japan has closed its borders to poultry imports from top supplier Thailand, as well as from China and the United States, respectively its third and fourth largest source, because of bird flu. Japan is also in talks with China on a resumption of imports of heat-treated poultry products.